March 14, 2016

A Trump Backlash Photo Stands Out

There have been scads of Trump protest, or “Trump backlash” photos in the last few days. They have been spurred, particularly, by the battling and subsequent cancellation of Trump’s Chicago rally. So the question is, what empowers a photo like this one by photographer Joshua Lott posted to Instagram, and what elevates it above the rest?

It’s often discussed how photos derive power by “standing on the shoulders” of others. This image — beyond capturing a “Bern-ing” Trump defiance, and the kinetic quailty of the pieces mid-air — echoes the famous “Winged Victory” statue.